Sputtering apparatus

Abstract

A sputtering apparatus includes a shutter arranged having a first surface on a side of a substrate holder and a second surface on the opposite side, a first shield having a third surface including a portion facing the second surface and a fourth surface on the opposite side, a second shield having a fifth surface including a portion facing end portions of the shutter and the first shield, and a gas supply unit supplying a gas into a space arranged outside the first shield to communicate with a first gap between the second surface of the shutter and the third surface of the first shield. The second shield includes a protruding portion on the fifth surface to form a second gap between the protruding portion and the end portion of the shutter.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A sputtering apparatus including a chamber, a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate in the chamber, and a target holder configured to hold a target, the sputtering apparatus comprising:
 a shutter arranged between the substrate holder and the target holder and having a first surface on a side of the substrate holder, a second surface on an opposite side to the first surface, and an opening; 
 a first shield having a third surface including a portion facing the second surface of the shutter and a fourth surface on an opposite side to the third surface; 
 a second shield having a fifth surface including a portion facing an end portion of the shutter and an end portion of the first shield; 
 a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas directly into a gas diffusion space, wherein the gas diffusion space has an annular shape and the gas diffusion space is arranged outside the first shield, wherein the gas diffusion space is at least partly defined by the fourth surface of the first shield and the fifth surface of the second shield such that the gas diffusion space is spaced apart from the shutter by at least the first shield, and wherein the gas diffusion space communicates with a first gap formed between the second surface of the shutter and the third surface of the first shield, wherein a contour of the shutter follows a contour of the first shield at least adjacent to the gas diffusion space; 
 a shutter rotating mechanism configured to rotate the shutter such that the target to be used for sputtering faces the substrate through the opening, wherein the shutter rotating mechanism rotates the shutter about an axis which is arranged at a center of the annular shape; 
 wherein the second shield includes a protruding portion protruding from the fifth surface and a portion of the protruding portion extends into the first gap between the shutter and the first shield so as to form a second gap between the protruding portion and the end portion of the shutter, wherein the first gap is larger than the second gap, and 
 a gas supplied into the gas diffusion space by the gas supply unit is capable of moving through the first gap toward a space near the target. 
 
     
     
       2. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second gap is smaller than a minimum distance between the first shield and the second shield. 
     
     
       3. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second shield further includes an outside convex portion on the fifth surface, and the outside convex portion is arranged such that the end portion of the first shield faces a portion of the second shield between the protruding portion and the outside convex portion of the fifth surface. 
     
     
       4. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein a third gap is formed by the outside convex portion of the second shield and the end portion of the first shield, and the third gap is smaller than a shortest distance between the first shield and the portion of the second shield between the protruding portion and the outside convex portion of the second shield. 
     
     
       5. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second shield further includes an inside convex portion on the fifth surface, and the inside convex portion is arranged such that the end portion of the shutter faces a portion of the second shield between the protruding portion and the inside convex portion of the fifth surface. 
     
     
       6. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 5 , further comprising a second shutter having a surface facing the first surface of the shutter, wherein the inside convex portion is arranged such that an end portion of the second shutter faces the portion of the second shield between the protruding portion and the inside convex portion of the fifth surface. 
     
     
       7. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first shield includes a portion arranged to surround the target. 
     
     
       8. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising at least one target holder in addition to the target holder. 
     
     
       9. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first shield and the second shield are arranged in the chamber, and at least a part of the gas diffusion space is defined by the fourth surface of the first shield, the fifth surface of the second shield and an inner surface of the chamber. 
     
     
       10. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the gas diffusion space is an annular space. 
     
     
       11. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the gas supplied into the gas diffusion space by the gas supply unit is capable of passing through a gap between the first shield and the second shield, and entering and passing through the first gap toward the space near the target. 
     
     
       12. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the gas diffusion space is separated from the shutter by a separating space which is formed between the second surface of the shutter and the third surface of the first shield, and which separating space includes the first gap. 
     
     
       13. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second shutter having a surface facing the first surface of the shutter,
 wherein the fifth surface of the second shield includes a portion facing an end portion of the second shutter. 
 
     
     
       14. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second shutter having a surface facing the first surface of the shutter, wherein a contour of the second shutter follows the contour of the first shield. 
     
     
       15. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second shutter having a surface facing the first surface of the shutter,
 wherein the shutter and the second shutter are rotated around a same axis. 
 
     
     
       16. A sputtering apparatus including a chamber, a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate in the chamber, and a target holder configured to hold a target, the sputtering apparatus comprising:
 a shutter arranged between the substrate holder and the target holder and having a first surface on a side of the substrate holder, a second surface on an opposite side to the first surface, and an opening; 
 a first shield having a third surface including a portion facing the second surface of the shutter and a fourth surface on an opposite side to the third surface; 
 a second shield having a fifth surface including a portion facing an end portion of the shutter and an end portion of the first shield; 
 a gas supply unit configured to supply a gas directly into a gas diffusion space, wherein the gas diffusion space has an annular shape and the gas diffusion space is arranged outside the first shield, wherein the gas diffusion space is at least partly defined by the fourth surface of the first shield and the fifth surface of the second shield such that the gas diffusion space is spaced apart from the shutter by at least the first shield, and wherein the gas diffusion space communicates with a first gap formed between the second surface of the shutter and the third surface of the first shield, wherein a contour of the shutter follows a contour of the first shield at least adjacent to the gas diffusion space; 
 a shutter rotating mechanism configured to rotate the shutter such that the target to be used for sputtering faces the substrate through the opening, wherein the shutter rotating mechanism rotates the shutter about an axis which is arranged at a center of the annular shape; 
 wherein the second shield includes first, second, and third protruding portions protruding from the fifth surface, wherein the end portion of the shutter extends between the first and second protruding portions to form a second gap and the end portion of the first shield extends between the second and third protrusions, and 
 a gas supplied into the gas diffusion space by the gas supply unit is capable of moving through the first gap toward a space near the target, wherein the first gap is larger than the second gap. 
 
     
     
       17. The sputtering apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a second protrusion extending from the fifth surface of the second shield between the protruding portion and an end of the second shield.